Past in Change
by Dead Caffeine Wolf
Summary: Chapter 9 up! Something happened in Bruce's past that he likes to keep hidden, something dark and painful. When someone linked to his past shows up at his door, how will Bruce react? Rated for brief topics of drug abuse and alcohol.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: 'Batman' belongs to DC. (I believe… O_o) But Darrian does not. 

~*~*~

Night had come sooner than expected, thunderclouds rolled in and lightening lit up the sky in a moment of glory. Bruce feeling older then twenty-two at the moment, dragged himself out of his 'bat-cave' and into the kitchen for something to drink. He would have had Alfred get it for him but the butler had began to feel ill and retired to bed early, early as in one A.M. Bruce sighed softly as he poured himself a cup of coffee. Lifting the cup to his lips there was a knock at the door.

  Setting the mug down on the counter, Bruce padded softly out into the foyer and pulled open the large wooden door. The rain chose that exact moment to fall soaking the outside immediately. A short figure stood outside the door, leaning heavily on the frame, wrapped up poorly against the rain in soaking wet jeans and an overlarge black hoodie. The hood obscured the person's face enough so that you couldn't tell from where it was standing even what gender it was.

  "'s this Bruce's place?" The figure asked, and now you could tell that it was a guy. He leaned forward, holding his chest, still obscuring his face, but random strands of pink-purple hair could be seen peeking out from under the hood.

 "Who are you?" Bruce asked, his voice somewhat light.

 He squinted against the dark trying to see who it was on his doorstep.

The guy didn't answer, deciding, instead, that it was past time for a nap. It was as if a robot had been turned off as he collapsed, half in, half out of Bruce's house.

Bruce frowned slightly as he knelt down onto his knee and rolled the stranger over onto his back. His eyes widened in shock and his jaw dropped.

 "Darrian?" He whispered softly.

~*~*~

He didn't need this, not right now not when he was so close to becoming Batman. His eyes slid over to the man lying on the couch with nothing on but a blanket. Darrian was from a part of his past he wanted so desperately to forget. His eyebrows drew together in anger and he turned away folding his arms over his chest trying to calm himself, why was he here? Why had he come _here_? Why now?

Darrian suddenly sat up, reaching for a weapon that wasn't there and breathing hard. He looked around with dangerous panic in his very green eyes until he realized he wasn't in any danger and calmed down, falling back into a prone position with a groan. He felt like crap run over, with a fever and a pounding headache, not to mention the chest-searing cough, which took that moment to introduce himself. Darrian sat up again, coughing his lungs out until the attack ceased. He leaned upright against the sofa back and looked tiredly at his long unseen friend. 

 He smiled crookedly. "Heya Bruce." 

Bruce turned to him, his face clearly un-amused by what was happening. 

 "Darrian," He said softly, his voice deep and angry, "Why are you here?"

Darrian put a hand to his head wincing. "Can't I drop in on an old friend?" He asked, trying to sound light but there was definite trouble in his voice. 

"You weren't just dropping in," Bruce raised an eyebrow noticing the strain in Darrian's voice, "and you're sick. Where have you been all this time? Is someone after you?"

Darrian pulled his knees up, careful to keep covered, and rested his elbows on them, holding his head in his hands in a position that should be familiar to Bruce. "No one's after me who'll be able to find me." he said, his voice sounding much older and more exhausted than before. "I had nowhere else to go." He said quietly

Bruce shook his head, "If you're going to stay here, then I should at least know why." He said rubbing the bridge of his nose.

Darrian closed his eyes. "Please Bruce." He said wearily. "It's in the past. It's nothing you'd want to hear and it's nothing I want to tell. Not now anyway. Please trust me on this one?"

"I have always trusted you Darrian, you know that." Bruce said, his face lightening slightly.

"Yea." Darrian said, smiling. "Hey man... you don't have any painkillers or something do you?"

Bruce nodded then disappeared out of the room, a few moments later he returned with a bottle of aspirin. 

 "Here." He grunted handing Darrian the bottle.

"Thanks." Darrian said, taking four and swallowing them one after the other.  "God, I feel like crap." He moaned, sliding back down to lie sideways on the couch.

"What happened to you?" Bruce asked raising an eyebrow.

"A lotta things.. to make a long story short, adding my non-existent immune system to stress, divided by me not looking after myself like I should and multiplied by crap weather equals what the hell ever flu i have at the moment." He coughed again, finding it hard to get his breath back for a while after he'd stopped. 

"You need to see a doctor." Bruce frowned not liking the sound of that cough.

"They won't do anything for me." Darrian said, scowling. "Dumb quacks."

Bruce ignored Darrian's comment, "I'll have you examined tomorrow morning, I have a friend that owes me a favor."

Darrian would have argued, but was feeling too sick to do so at that moment. He lay back and put an arm across his eyes, feeling how hot he was when he did so. "Mmm, maybe you're right." he said grudgingly.

"Get some sleep and I'll see you tomorrow." Bruce said slipping out the door.

Bruce needn't have bothered, as Darrian had already fallen into an uneasy sleep.

~*~*~

A/N: So… How'd ya'll like that? Please review and tall us what you thought!


	2. Chapter 2

~*~

The female doctor feint surprise, "'You' have 'friends'?"

 "Very funny, Leslie." Bruce growled frowning slightly as watched the woman laugh lightly, "Will you just look him over, please?" 

Darrian eyed the doctor warily, pulling the covers up to his chin. "Bruce..." he said, in a warning but anxious tone.

"What?" Bruce asked innocently, if that were possible.

Darrian turned to the doctor. "You're not coming anywhere near me." He said bluntly. 

Leslie glanced back at Bruce who rolled his eyes. 

 "Don't be childish, Darrian." Bruce frowned scolding the older man.

Darrian made a face. "But Bruce.. I don't wanna see a doctor, I'm FINE." He protested. 

"You're burning up." Bruce stated simply. 

Leslie approached Darrian and pressed a hand to his forehead, "My God, you _are_ burning up." She gasped pulling back. 

Darrian flinched back when the strange woman touched him, but her hand felt so cool against his head that he leaned back in... Unfortunately she pulled away again. Darrian just rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine, have at me." he said, looking extremely put -upon. "But I don't want _you_ in here..." He said, shooting a glare at Bruce.

Bruce smirked, "Alright fine." He said turning and exiting the room. 

 Leslie watched Bruce leave then shook her head slowly, "My name is Doctor Leslie." She introduce herself having not done so earlier.

"Darrian." he said. "Look... what _exactly_ are you gonna do to me?" He asked, shifting nervously.

"Probe you." Leslie replied seriously.

Darrian went pale...well... he would've done if he wasn't so flushed from the fever. "Probe me and die." He spat.

Leslie shook her head laughing, "I was just kidding!" She picked her bag up off the floor and searched through it, "I'm just going to take your temperature, look at you ears, eyes, and throat, then prescribe something for you. Sound painful enough?" She asked smiling.

Darrian glared, but was feeling nasty, so it turned into a look of long-suffering. "Lets get it over with then..." He sighed.

Bruce waited outside in the foyer staring out the window. Leslie walked out smiling when he turned to her. 

 "He'll live. He has a touch of pneumonia, but I gave him something that should clear it up within a couple of days." 

 Bruce nodded, "Thanks." He said walking her to the door and opened it for her.

 "No problem. I'll see you around." She said walking out the door.

 Bruce watched her get in to her car and leave before going back into the other room. 

 "That wasn't so bad, was it?" He grinned approaching Darrian.

Darrian whimpered, curled in a little ball. "Ow." Was all he said miserably.

"Well I need to go do some work... I'll have Alfred look in on you in a while." Bruce's smile vanished as he left the room.

~*~

The sky turned a dark bluish black and it began to rain. Bruce, eight years old, ran down the street, now slick with rain, and slipped falling straight into a puddle of mud. Slowly he lifted himself out of the puddle, blood mingled with tears and dirty water as he sobbed. Slowly he climbed to his feet and continued on his way down the street when a voice called out to him. Slowing to a stop he turned fearfully finding a boy around the age of eleven watching him.

 Bruce shook his head ridding himself of the memory. That had been the night he met Darrian, he had kept him out of trouble for the few years he was out on the streets and... well, he didn't like to think about that. Pressing a button on the keyboard, he saved his process and climbed to his feet surveying the cave.

 "Master Bruce?" It was Alfred, "Darrian has been asking for you, sir." 

 Bruce nodded and started for the stairs.

 Darrian was looking out the window when Bruce came in. He grinned from ear to ear. "Bruce! Hey, guess what?" He replied before Bruce had the chance to say anything. "I'm feeling MUCH better. Cough's gone, everything..." He grinned brightly.

"That's great," Bruce smiled slightly, "Now maybe you'll tell me why you're here?"

Darrian sighed, his smile disappearing, and he turned back around to the window, arms wrapped around himself. "Already told you man.. I was feeling like death and I had no where else to go." He turned round. "I'm really grateful for you taking me in and looking after me and all... but it'll probably be safer, for both of us, if I leave here before trouble follows..." He said, looking unusually serious.

Bruce frowned slipping into 'Batman mode', "Look," His voice had deepened slightly, "If you're in trouble I can help. But I can't unless you tell me what kind of trouble you're in."

Darrian raised an eyebrow at Bruce's change in voice, but laughed humorously. "I appreciate it Brucie, I really do. But this REALLY isn't something you wanna get yourself involved in. Besides, I've caused you enough trouble already just turning up."

"I'm already involved." Bruce grunted noting the black car pulling up in the driveway, ""Friends of yours?" He asked tilting his head towards the window.

Darrian's eyes widened and he backed up. "Oh FUCK!" He exclaimed. He turned to Bruce. "Dude, I'm SO sorry bringing this all down on you." He gave Bruce a quick glomp and then started out the bedroom door. "There's a back way out of here right?" 

"Darrian," Bruce stopped the older man and making a quick decision pulled him out of the room and down the hallway, "You have to promise with your LIFE to keep this a secret." He hissed pulling him into another room. 

 Darrian grinned nervously. "Bruce, my life may not be too much longer if you don't let me find some way out of your scarily big house."

The doorbell rang and Alfred passed by the room. Bruce dove out of the room stopping his butler.

 "No one's home." He said narrowing his eyes. 

Alfred nodded, "Understood sir." He replied walking down to the door. 

 Bruce walked back into the study and to a clock, moving the hands just right it slid open.

 "Ever heard of Batman?"

Darrian gnawed on his lip. "Uh... Bruce... these guys might not care if you're butler tells them no one's in... and no... I haven't... I HAVE been hiding in fear for my life for the past... few... years.." He pointed out, calculating the end.

Bruce pushed Darrian into the opening and followed behind making sure the clock closed. As they climbed down the dark stairs the familiar sound of dripping water met their ears. Bruce ran his hand along the wall finding a light switch and flipped it on lighting up the whole cave.

Darrian looked round in shock. "Whoa!" He blinked, then turned to Bruce. "Okay... they caught me didn't they. I fell down and hit my head and this is all some kind of weird dream... "

Stepping into a darkened room, Bruce vanished from Darrian's sight for a few minutes before reemerging in a black costume minus the cowl.

 "Let's go." He said heading for a sporty black car, the 'Bat-mobile.'

Darrian's face, when Bruce stepped out as Batman, was hilarious, but his shock was forgotten when he saw the car. "Wow." He said flatly. "Is this yours... I mean... wow... he said again. He was in love.

"You understand that this must stay strictly between you and me." Bruce eyed Darrian as he pulled on his cowl becoming Batman.

Darrian nodded mutely, eyes wide. He suddenly remembered who was upstairs and turned his head up. "Will Alfred be okay?" He asked, concerned.

Batman smirked, "Alfred can handle himself," He said unlocking the car, "Get in." He ordered climbing in behind the wheel.

Darrian grinned like a kid on Christmas morning. He practically jumped in and sat, running his hand over the dashboard. "Bruce, this car is SO cool." He looked quizzically at his friend. "What exactly did you do to get it? And what's with the costume?"

"Buckle up." Batman instructed starting up the ignition, "Oh and another thing, when I'm in this costume I'm Batman." He glanced at Darrian and smirked pulling out a newspaper from the glove box, "Here." He grunted handing it to him then turned back to the wheel and sped out of the cave like a bat out of hell.

Darrian buckled in and took the paper. "Okay then... so, what, you got some kinda split personality thing going on?" He asked absently as he read through the paper. "...superhero...blah,blah,blah...caped crusader?" He looked at Bruce skeptically. "Br... I mean.. BATMAN... are you having me on?"

Batman didn't care to dignify his question with an answer; instead he sped down a deserted road slowing to a stop out side of Gotham city's boundaries. 

 "What did they want?" He asked, his voice deeper than usual.

Darrian sighed, looking away from Bruce, down at his hands, which twined themselves together. "I guess I should tell you after dragging them into your house and all." he said, trying humor but failing. "I owe some guy money. Those dudes have been tailing me for a few years now, ever since I skipped the country owing their boss. I'd hoped they'd lost me after I ended up at yours, cause they usually find me within a week... but I guess not." 

"How much?" Batman grunted narrowing his eyes.

"More than I can afford." Darrian said mournfully. "With added interest over the years, plus expenses from sending those guys after me...  see, this guy isn't as worried about the money as he is about the fact that I managed to get away without paying. So, basically, he kinda just wants me dead. Or suitably tortured at least." He winced at the thought. 

"How _much_?" Batman repeated.

Darrian ran a hand through his hair. "Plus interest... and if he still wants it... my nearest guess would be.. lemme see... around 8 thousand... maybe more." 

Batman put the car into reverse and spun around driving back the way they came.

 "Where does it have to be paid?" He asked after a minute. 

"Into his hands. In bills." Darrian said miserably. "But you know if I go back there, he'll kill me anyway. Its the principle of the thing." He said sourly.

"So paying is out of the question?" Batman asked glancing over at Darrian.

Darrian nodded. "I'm in too far to dig myself back out." he said with a emotionless smile. "What a surprise!" He said sarcastically.

"So we play this their way," Batman smirked slightly, "Know where their point of operation is?" He asked slowing to a stop.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait." Darrian said. "We? Who said anything about we?" 

"You're right," Batman nodded climbing out of the Bat-mobile, the black car was still parked in his driveway and the door was wide open, "You stay here." 

"WHAT! Bru.. Batman!" He hissed, scrambling out of the car after him. "This isn't your fight. I'm sorry for forcing them on you.. just.,, lend me a bike or something, I'll lead them away."

Stepping into the foyer, Batman frowned finding the place in shambles and Alfred laying on the floor out cold. He quickly glanced around and disappeared around one of the corners having heard a man's deep gravely voice from the other room. 

Darrian, following behind him, knelt down by Alfred and held his head in his lap. "Sorry Alfred." he whispered. "This is all my fault." He looked up to watch Bruce move off round a corner. "Crazy caped guy..." He muttered, then pulled Alfred into a safe corner.

"Not here." Batman heard one of the men grunt. 

He counted three of them and was about to make his move when another walked into the room. 

He crouched waiting for a moment then pulled out a vile from a pouch in his utility belt and threw it down by the men's feet. A large white cloud exploded from the vile and Batman dove out of his hiding place attacking the men. 

Darrian left Alfred, and walked quietly to see what had happened to Bruce. He was shocked to see him attacking the men, and worried for his younger friends safety, but he didn't have time to think as one of the guys, staggering and coughing, wiping his tearing eyes on his sleeve, caught sight of him. "Oi! It's Him." He called out, and then leapt for Darrian. Darrian ducked and the guy shot over his head. He pulled out his boot knife and brought it up, thrusting it underneath his attackers ribcage with a hard thrust. The man stared back at him, gurgling while blood bubbled up fro his mouth, and then collapsed over Darrian's hand. Darrian pulled his bloody knife out and wiped it on the guy's clothing, a little pale in the face. "Shit." He kept his knife up and tried to see Bruce through the fog.

Batman knocked the third guy out and turned around just in time to see Darrian attack and kill the last guy. He waited a moment before stepping out of the fog.

 "You alright?"

Darrian, panting hard, nodded, swallowing. "You?"

 "Fine," Batman nodded then started for the door, "You call the police and I'll take the Bat-mobile back to the cave. Tell them that you're a friend of Bruce Wayne's and are staying here."

"I can't." Darrian said, panicky. "The police can't get involved here."

"You have no choice." Batman growled, "I'll be back in a minute." He then climbed into the car and sped off.

"Damn." Darrian did so then made sure the guys were tied up. He moved Alfred to the sofa and got an ice pack for the old man's head, sitting next to him with his head in his hands. "Bruce, you just chucked me into shit creek and I don't even have a boat."

~*~*~

A/N: PLEASE REVIEW!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you Batbabe for the review AND for telling me that I posted this under German! 'Do'h!'

----

Bruce returned five minutes after the police arrived. He walked up to Darrian surprise evident in his eyes, "Are you okay?" He asked glancing around the room like it was his first time.

Darrian jumped. "I wish you hadn't made me do that." he said. "All kinds a shit's gonna happen now. I'll have to get outta the state.."

"Don't worry." Bruce shook his head then turned when Commissioner Gordon approached him.

 "Sorry you have to walk in on something like this Mr. Wayne. Your friend here's real lucky. Says the Bat came."

 "That so?" Bruce raised his eyebrows.

Darrian nodded. "Yup. How come you're never around when the good stuff's going on Bruce?" Darrian totally disguised his discomfort and smiled at Bruce.

Bruce shrugged smiling, "So what did they want? I see they didn't manage to take anything..."

 Gordon pulled out a cigar glanced up at Bruce who smiled and lit it, "I'm not sure. Your friend here says he doesn't know either. My guess is robbery gone bad."

Darrian shook his head. "Shouldn't have such a big house with no security system Brucie." He smirked

"Nothing like this has ever happened before." Bruce replied, "Where's Alfred?" He asked looking around.

"He got knocked out." Darrian said, worry in his tone. "I put him on the couch with an ice pack for his head, but he hasn't woken up yet."

"He should be fine, we had a medic look him over." Gordon spoke up taking a puff of his cigar.

Another officer called for him and he excused himself then walked off. Bruce turned back to Darrian his eyes darkening slightly.

 "We need to talk." He grunted, "Later..."

---

Darrian sat on the pool table, deciding whether or not to start a game. Deciding he didn't feel like it, he just waited for Bruce to come in. "Hey, how's Alfred?" He asked when Bruce finally entered.

"He's fine. Has a bit of a headache..." He paused and closed the door, "But rather clean than stay in bed." He smiled slightly then sighed folding his arms over his chest.

 "You can stay if you'd like."

Darrian jumped down and paced. "Thanks, but I can't." He said nervously. "Even if those guys don't find me out here I'm still gonna have to deal with the cops if those sneaky bastard stalkers of mine talk."

Bruce shook his head, "You really haven't been reading the papers."

Darrian cocked his head. "What?"

"Darrian, the last time we talked I was a broke and beaten 15 year old. Now, I'm a billionaire with the best lawyers in town."

Darrian winced at the memories THAT brought up." I know... but I'm still gonna be guilty, aren't I?"

"For what, self defense?" Bruce smirked, "No one will even try and prosecute you for that."

Darrian avoided eye contact. "Bruce. Why do you think I owe them money in the first place?"

The thought hadn't even occurred to him, 'Great detective my ass.' He thought grimly.

 "You're doing drugs again." Again, he had quit for a while, for him. 

"I'm not anymore." Darrian protested. "Things just got hard after we split and.. shit, you know I'm not a strong person." Darrian paced again, obviously disgusted with himself.

Bruce narrowed his eyes, "Could've fooled me."

Darrian looked up, looking not a little hurt. "What do you mean?" He asked shortly.

"You know exactly what I mean."

Darrian looked hurt. "I'm not still a junkie Bruce, I swear. I've been clean for eight months."

Bruce shook his head, "That's not what I'm talking about Darrian." He frowned slightly, "You're not as weak as you think you are."

Darrian shook his head. "If I'm all that strong why did I start the stupid drug in the first place?" He asked, but turned away, running a hand through his hair, stressed. "Anyway... you can see why I'm royally screwed now, don't you."

"It doesn't matter. I'm not going to turn my back on you now, the offer is still open."

Darrian looked muddled. "I don't wanna bring any more trouble down on you than I already have Bruce. And you know I will. It just follows me round wherever I go."

"You always seem to get yourself out of trouble too." Bruce smirked, "And you know my secret, so you don't have much a choice now anyways."

Darrian sat down where he stood, cross-legged on the floor, looking deep in thought. "You're sure?" he said eventually.

Bruce nodded, "If I wasn't I wouldn't have asked."

Darrian shrugged. "Okay man." his grin back. "But it's your funeral."

"It's not like I haven't been to it already." Bruce replied blandly.

Darrian blinked." You what?"

Bruce chuckled, "So you have to fill me in on what you've been doing."

Darrian shrugged. "You know.... shooting up, getting high, getting clean, living like an outlaw... the usual. Tell me, what's with the funeral thing. Tell me, tell me, tell me..."

Bruce blinked, "I was kidding." He furrowed his eyebrows at Darrian, "You were supposed to be the 'good example' remember?"

Darrian snorted. "I've had enough of that to last me a lifetime." He said. "I think I deserve to act like a kid now and then, considering my gaping LACK of childhood. And how was I supposed to know you were kidding? You lead a double life as a superhero, come on."

 "Yea well..." Bruce shrugged, "Gotta do _something_."

Darrian raised an eyebrow. "Yea...but.... superhero?"

 "I made a promise." Bruce said simply, his face turning serious.

Darrian saw Bruce's face cloud over and backed off. "Fair enough." he said simply.

Bruce turned towards the door just as Alfred entered.

 "Hope I'm not interrupting anything, Master Bruce." He said politely.

 "No, Alfred, you're not." Bruce smiled slightly.

 "Dinner is ready sirs."

-----

A/N: Please Review!


	4. Chapter 4

-----

_Darrian, straggly and unkempt, his hair in rain-soaked locks falling around his chin, turned his head as the sound of running feet catching his attention. He watched as a small boy, no older than ten at the VERY most fell and kept running. Darrian wasn't so hard-hearted to let the little guy keep going, so he called out. "Hey kid!" He smiled and walked over to the little boy. "Hey, whatcha doin' out here in the rain? Where you off to in such a hurry, huh?"_

_Bruce stumbled backwards staring wide-eyed at the other boy. _

_ "Y-you can't t-take me back there." He stuttered, shivering from both the cold and fear, "I'm not going back!" He said a bit bolder._

_"Whoa kid, chill, I won't do anything you don't want me to. What are you running from?" He asked, turning his head to hear the sounds of approaching footsteps. Quickly, he turned back to Bruce. "Those guys?"_

_Glancing over his shoulder at the approaching men, Bruce scrambled forward, "I-it's them! Please mister! Help me!"_

_Darrian would have laughed as the kid called him mister, but the situation was too tense at that moment. He knew he wouldn't have enough time to run off with the kid, so he turned and led him to an alley, gently pushing him to hide behind a couple of bins there. "Stay really still okay?" He told him, then stood against the wall with his arms crossed, his legs also hiding the small boy. When the running men came into view, Darrian acted. "Hey, are you after that li'l kid?" He asked_

_ "Yea, why?"_

_Darrian pretended to be angry. "The li'l fuck ran into me, got me soaked. He went that way." He said, pointing down the street. _

_"Thanks." One of the guys said before running to catch up to his friend, who was already off._

_ "No problem." Darrian called back, then watched till they had gone. He turned back to where he'd left the kid. "Okay, c'mon, we gotta move. They might turn round and come back. Don't worry, I know somewhere we can go where you'll be safe."_

_Bruce hesitantly crawled out from behind the bins, he sniffed and rubbed at his eyes, "Where?" He asked softly._

_"It's a friend of mine ok? She'll look after you, alright, at least until we can find you a better place to go. Now be real quiet and follow me alright?" He said, taking the smaller kid's hand. "What's your name anyway?"_

_"Bruce Wayne." Bruce answered looking up at the older boy, "What's your name?"_

_"I'm Darrian."_

Darrian turned and sat up in bed. "Damn..." He said out loud. "Hangin' round with Bruce again doesn't do much for my sleep patterns." He grumbled, turned round and went back to sleep.

-----

Darrian came downstairs and finally made his way to the kitchen, yawning widely. He sat on a stool at the table and crossed his arms on the table top, burying his head in them. "Mmmuurgrgg..." He said as a good morning to Alfred, who looked entirely too awake in Darrian's opinion.

"Good morning Darrian," Alfred greeted him as he stirred the eggs on the stove, "Would you like some breakfast, sir?"

Darrian lifted his head. "Alfred... you're a living saint." He told him dryly. "Where's Bruce. Don't tell me he sleeps in later than I do."

Alfred shook his head as he dished Darrian some eggs and bacon, "No, master Bruce had a meeting to attend to this morning. He told me to tell you he'd see you this afternoon." He said placing the plate in front of Darrian.

"Cheers." Darrian told Alfred, tucking in. "So... exactly how DID Bruce end up living in a MANSION? I mean... what the hell has he been doing all these years to make him be able to buy this place?"

"Master Bruce inherited the mansion. He lived here as a lad before his parents' death." Alfred said frowning slightly.

"Really? Well... if that's so, how come I ended up meeting him when he was running away from some hell-hole children's home?"

Alfred stopped what he was doing and turned to Darrian, "I am quite sure I don't know what you're talking about sir." He said dryly going back to the task at hand.

Darrian walked over and leant across the table next to Alfred. "Whaddaya mean 'you don't know what I mean?'"

"Exactly what I said sir. You see, I was away at the time Bruce's parent were murdered."

Darrian stared back at Alfred blankly. "Okay. So... you were away... Bruce's parent's get murdered... and what? You accidentally misplaced him? How come you didn't find him... how come he had to go through that shit of a kid's home when he coulda been here, in a fucking mansion... " He stopped himself. "Sorry Alfred. I'm not blaming you or anything... it's just a touchy subject, you know?"

Alfred nodded, "I understand." He finished washing the dishes and began drying them, after a moment he turned to Darrian and sighed slightly, "I didn't hear of Master Bruce's parents' deaths until I returned. By then Master Bruce had already gone missing and no one could find him. Needless to say charges were pressed against the Children's home for such poor conditions."

"Well, it's a good thing something happened to stop any more poor l'il kids going through there." Darrian sighed. "So, how did you guys meet back up?"

"He ended coming back here. And I adopted him."

"Oh... right... cool." Darrian said, going back to his breakfast. "And he does what now?"

Alfred finished drying the dishes and began putting them away, "Master Bruce owns his own company."

"You're KIDDING me!?!" Darrian laughed. "That's hilarious. So, what does his company do?"

"That, you will have to ask Master Bruce when he returns home."

Darrian made a face. "So, what, you don't know?"

"No sir, I no longer care to discuss it." Alfred said dryly exiting the room leaving Darrian by himself.

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A/N: Reviews are greatly appreciated!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thank you Batbabe for the review! I can't believe I forgot about this ::Sweatdrop::

Darrian usually would have been as bored as hell wandering round Bruce's house with nothing to do, but at that moment he was slightly preoccupied. The attack on the house couldn't be the only one coming. Soon enough, the guy he owed money to would send more of his people to come collect him, and he couldn't rely on Bruce to be there all the time... and he really didn't want to drag Bruce or Alfred any deeper into this mess than they were already.

He hated that his whole situation was about his former drug problem. He had an on-off relationship with recreational chemicals since he'd been thirteen and it had come and gone over the years. He hated it even more that he'd had to tell Bruce. Bruce, who had nearly fallen into the same trap back when they were still living together.

The kid had been miserable and depressed for some time now. Who wouldn't be, having their parents' die and then being stuck in some god-forsaken children's home run by violent sadists, only to end up living a meager life, moving from squat to squat?

Being exposed to the kind of lowlifes who would sell a kid drugs, he'd of course, tried to turn to them for help.

Darrian still remembered the time he'd found Bruce coming in from having been to see one of those guys, eyes glazed, pupils dilated, shaking and jumpy like a hyperactive puppy and sometimes staring at nothing before talking randomly to himself in riddles. Darrian had shaken him and forced Bruce to tell him what he'd taken- LSD, as he'd thought- then promptly locked him in the bedroom, sitting with him and watching him until he came down, before immediately telling him that he was in no circumstance to ever try solving his problems with drugs again.

The sad fact of the matter was that Darrian apparently wasn't as strong as Bruce had been, and very shortly, after Bruce had left him, he had gone back onto heroin.

Darrian shook himself out of these thoughts, looked around and found himself near the front door. He glanced at the clock.

What the hell time is Bruce supposed to be back at?

The doorknob suddenly turned and Bruce walked in looking worn and tired. His eyes fell onto Darrian standing a few feet away and he forced himself to smile, even though it looked more like a grimace, at least he tried.

Darrian smiled. "BRUCIE!" he randomly ran and glomped Bruce before pulling back. "Heya mate. You looked shattered. Hard day at work?"

Bruce chuckled softly, "Yea, you could say that. Lex Enterprises wants me to help them with their newest product," He sighed and glared at the floor, "The guy's an idiot, he won't give up on the fact that I. Don't. Like. Guns."

Darrian raised an eyebrow. "Oookaaay then. Why don't you tell him to shove it?"

Bruce smirked cheekily, "As a matter of fact, I did. Not in so many words... but you get my point."

Darrian feigned shock. "You bad boy.." He smirked. "Apart from telling someone to relocate a piece of machinery, what else did you do today?"

"Had lunch with Lois Lane." He answered simply moving away from the foyer and into the game room.

Darrian wolf-whistled following Bruce. "Oooo, who's Lois Lane then Brucie?" He teased.

Bruce glared at Darrian over his shoulder, "Just a friend." He said grabbing two pool sticks and tossed one to Darrian.

Darrian caught it. "A-ha..." he said, not sounding at all convinced. "Sure.. okay then... if that's what you're calling 'em these days, fine..."

"She's got a boyfriend, and even though I could take him down... I guess he'd be what you would call a 'friend.'" Bruce smirked cockily as he rounded up the balls on the table.

Darrian cocked his head. "Oh really... this boyfriend... what's he like?" He asked, faux-innocently, although the huge grin on his face gave him away.

Bruce shook his head, "Ever heard of Superman?"

"That CAN'T be a nickname."

"You mean to tell me that you've never heard of Superman either?" Bruce looked up at Darrian in shock.

Darrian mewed. "No... Remember? Rock... hiding... no TV or newspapers whatsoever..."

Bruce nodded, "Right. Yea well you'll see him on the news soon enough, he's 'always' on the news." Sinking a striped ball into a corner pocket, Bruce moved around the table, "But you'll meet him even sooner, he and Lois are coming over for dinner Saturday."

Darrian raised an eyebrow with interest. "Ooh... really? Yay, meeting new people who DON'T wanna torture, maim and/or kill me."

"That's a good way to look at it." Bruce grunted frowning when the ball missed the side pocket.

Darrian aimed to pot a colored ball, but it ended up totally overshooting. He growled at it. "Yea... well fuck you too." He said to it, then asked Bruce. "So, when are they coming over?"

"Saturday at 6." Bruce said raising an eyebrow.

Darrian smiled and nodded.

A/N: Please Review!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thank you so much for the review and compliment Batbabe!

VVVVVV

Alfred sat the last plate down on the table and dismissed himself back into the kitchen satisfied that everyone was okay.

"This looks great!" Lois smiled taking a bite of her salad, "This IS great."

Bruce smiled slightly cutting his steak.

Darrian nodded. "Yea, props to Freddy."

Clark nodded, agreeing. "So Bruce, how's business been?" He asked, for lack of something to say. He was getting slightly unnerved by the way Bruce's friend kept STARING at him. For Darrian's part, he was having a whale of a time, giving Clark snatches of heated looks. He had a plan... oh yes... he had a plan.

"Since the alien attacks and the Lex Luthor deal... it's been good, I guess." Bruce popped a piece of meat into his mouth and chewed slowly, it was taking every ounce of self control he had to keep from laughing at the looks Darrian was giving Clark.

Lois had also noticed this, she dabbed her mouth with her napkin to hide the grin.

"Gotham's a nice city." She said averting her eyes to Bruce.

"It has its' perks I guess."

Darrian looked confused at Bruce, while Clark seemed relieved that the small guy's attention was off him. "Alien attacks?" He asked incredulously. "You what?"

Bruce frowned slightly, "Long story... Remember the extremely dark cloudy day a few years back?"

Darrian thought. "I think so... o'course, I might've been in England at the time, so I prolly wouldn't have noticed any difference. " He joked.

"Yea well, that's when Earth was attacked by aliens."

Lois gave Bruce an incredulous look, "Does he-?"

"Yes, he knows I'm Batman." Bruce nodded.

Clark looked with confusion between Darrian and Bruce, before leaning back in his chair. "So... how do you guys know each other?" He asked, interested. "You must be pretty close to Bruce if he let you in on his little secret." Darrian smiled at Clark. "I'll let Bruce fill you in on that." he said, not sure what Bruce wanted revealed or what have you.

Bruce had stopped eating; his eyes had become transfixed on his plate.

"Bruce?" Lois whispered leaning across the table and nudged his arm.

Bruce blinked and scowled up at Clark, "He's a friend I've had since I was a boy." He answered darkly.

"Oh... " Clark noticed Bruce's dropped mood and felt guilty about bringing it up.

Darrian noticed this too, and decided to stir things up. "So, Lois. How long've you and Clark been going out for?"

"Almost three months." Lois answered tearing her eyes from Bruce; she'd have to find out what was wrong a little later.

Darrian cooed. "Awww... sweet." He gave Clark another look, flashing him a quick smirk. "How do you two know Bruce then?" Clark ducked his head, putting a forkful of food in his mouth and stubbornly waited for Lois to speak, not wanting any more of Darrian's attention on him than was absolutely necessary.

Lois frowned at Clark, "Well I met Bruce when he came to Metropolis," She smiled at the memory, "But I'm not sure how Superman here met him."

Bruce snorted softly shoving a fork full of food into his mouth.

Clark shrugged. "I met him the same time you did." He filled in, shifting as he felt Darrian's gaze boring back into him. "And then our alter egos met later..."

Bruce nodded, "But a certain someone had to 'cheat' to find out who I was." He glared at Clark an amused smirk pulling at his lips.

Darrian, on the edge of laughing, looked at Clark. "How's that?" Clark glared at Batman. "Bruce... " He said warningly. "It wasn't cheating."

"Yea right, using your X-ray vision to find out who Batman was isn't cheating." Bruce shook his head and took a sip of his water.

Lois turned to Clark raising her eyebrows, "I'd call that cheating." She smiled.

Clark made a face. "It was... utilizing my abilities.." He said edgily.

Darrian looked keenly at Superman. "X-ray vision?" He asked, with a tone of laughter in his voice.

"It's one of my powers." Clark explained.

Darrian looked confused. "Powers..." He looked at Bruce. "How come he has powers and you don't? Isn't there some kinda superman union that gives these things out or something?"

"Clark's an alien." Bruce explained glancing at Lois who was slowly eating her food.

Darrian gave them both a blank look. "Uh-huh." He said slowly. He turned to Lois. "And what about you? What's your big secret? You're really a mutant with superhuman powers too?" He asked, half joking.

"Yes." Lois answered seriously.

Bruce raised an eyebrow but kept his mouth shut, he wanted to see where this went.

Darrian made a shocked face, and then giggled. "Okay, what do you do?"

"I-"

"Oh come on Lois," Bruce chuckled interrupting her, "Give him a break. He already thinks we're all crazy."

"So? I'm just giving him another reason to think it." Lois smiled.

Darrian made a face of hurt. "Awwww... you were LYING to me? How could you... after all we've been through... " He pretended to sob. "I'm heartbroken." Clark rolled his eyes.

"Whatever." Lois rolled her eyes as well, "You sure pick up strange friends." She said to Bruce who smirked.

"I know."

"One, considering you're dating an alien and are friends with a guy who leads a secret double life as a crime fighter, I don't think you should be calling other people strange." Darrian laughed. "And secondly, I picked HIM up... you may not believe this with my youthful looks, but I am actually OLDER than he is." He said, winking at Clark.

"Really?" Lois raised an eyebrow and glanced at Bruce who was once again frowning.

"Yea... truly. Though you wouldn't know cause Brucie's WAY too serious." He cocked his head at Clark. "In fact... you two are kinda alike... sure you're not the same person. I mean, both being superheroes, both having the whole 'stone-face' thing going on...?" both in love with Lois Lane... although that's about to change if I have anything to do with it. He thought.

Bruce, being quite observant and knowing the way Darrian's mind worked (most of the time) could see the wheels turning in his head.

"I have reason to be serious." He grunted picking at his food.

Lois laughed, "But not at the moment you don't. Lighten up _Brucie_."

Clark watched Darrian as the other boy started trying to make Bruce smile. What's that guy up to? He thought feverishly. How well does Bruce know him.. He seems like bad news to me. At that moment, Darrian turned his head and their gazes locked. Something jolted in Clark and he couldn't look away. Luckily, Darrian turned his gaze before anyone could notice. Clark shook his head. What was that?

Bruce glared at Darrian, "Knock it off." He hissed the corner of his mouth twitching upward unconsciously.

Unfortunately for Clark, Lois 'had' noticed the eye contact and the look that had crossed Clark's face afterwards. She bit her lip to keep from frowning then turned her attention back to Bruce who was running his hand through his hair trying not to laugh.

Darrian subtly pouted at Bruce, then smiled, turning back to Clark. "So... do you have to work out to keep your great shape or is that just an alien thing?" He asked, faux innocently. Clark choked on a mouthful of drink.

Bruce shook his head and Lois laughed.

"You should see him work out! Whenever he has a spare moment it's straight to the gym!"

Darrian turned a heated look on Clark, which made the alien superhero shift uncomfortably in his seat. "I SHOULD see him work out, shouldn't I." He said, with a laugh to show he was joking to Lois, but still fixing Clark with that look.

Clark turned his face, flushing despite himself. "Well, I'm done." He announced, putting his cutlery down. "Alfred did you proud as usual Bruce."

Bruce nodded setting his napkin down on his plate. A moment later Alfred walked in and collected the plates.

"That was delicious Alfred!" Lois smiled as he took her plate.

"Thank you madam." Alfred smiled back.

Darrian had a problem with having one person clean up after another, but didn't show it. He grinned at Alfred. "Yea Fred, you should leave Brucie here and go see if you could get better pay as a chef." He giggled

"I wouldn't dream of it." Alfred said dryly as he left the room.

"Why don't we go into the Pool room?" Bruce asked standing up.

Darrian stood up and bounced off hyperactively. Clark waited for Lois and walked along beside her, his head down, trying to forget about Darrian's teasing.

Lois smiled leaning her head against Clark's arm.

Bruce walked behind them at a slow steady pace.

Clark distractedly smiled back at Lois, his mind deep in thought. Part of it was anger at Darrian for making him tailspin into this new land of confused feelings, and the other part was furiously thinking at Bruce where the hell did you pick this guy up? Darrian was perched on the pool table, swinging his legs under him like a big kid as the others came in. "Took you long enough." He greeted good-naturedly.

"Side of the road." Bruce grunted to Clark as he walked by.

Clark snorted, slightly unnerved that Bruce had picked up on what he'd been thinking, but not completely surprised.

Lois looked up at Clark slightly confused, "What?" She asked looking over at Bruce who was rounding up the balls.

Darrian, jumping off the table, gave the other two guys the same look Lois was giving them. "Yea... what? Why Do I have the feeling I just got insulted?"

Bruce shrugged, "Anyone up for a game?" He asked holding a pool stick up.

Lois shrugged picking up a stick, "Yea sure, why not?" She smiled looking over her shoulder at Clark, "You up for it big guy?"

Clark shook his head. "I'll sit this one out thanks." He said, taking a seat at the side so that he could watch the game. Darrian also declined to play, but, instead of going over to sit on his lap, as Clark had been fearing, went and sat a chair or two down from Clark, watching the table with interest. Clark glanced sideways at Darrian, who continued to ignore him, and Clark caught himself feeling slightly perturbed.

"Want to break?" Bruce asked setting the triangle down on the floor.

Lois nodded walking around the table to the white ball and lined up her shot. Striking the ball she sank three balls including the 8 ball.

"Luck." Bruce grunted.

Darrian laughed at Bruce. "She's gonna kick your ass Brucie." He crowed. Clark clapped his girlfriend, still watching Darrian to the side of him unconsciously.

Bruce scowled at the two as he re-racked the ball, "Bet you can't do that again." He smirked slightly dropping the triangle to the ground again.

Lois grinned chalking up her stick, "Bruce, Bruce, Bruce," She shook her head lining up her stick with the white ball and once again pocketed the eight ball, "I've played this game with my dad for years."

Bruce's jaw dropped slightly, composing himself he put his stick away, "Anyone up for darts?"

Darrian laughed, doubled over. "She totally annihilated you mate."

Clark gave Lois a congratulatory kiss. "Now you know why I never play against her Bruce." He chuckled.

Bruce snorted then smiled.

"Wanna try again?" Lois asked grinning.

"Against you? No thanks, I'd rather fight with Superman here that way I know I at least stand a chance at winning."

Clark bristled playfully. "Hey!"

Darrian tutted. "Oh come on Bruce... " Darrian sauntered over to Clark and grabbed a bicep. "LOOK at these things... he'd pulverize you." He said, stroking his hand down Clarks arm nonchalantly, making Clark shiver. Darrian winked conspiratorially at Bruce.

Bruce shook his head turning away, "You know I could." He smirked mischievously.

Lois rolled her eyes, "Oh look at you two, you're acting like... like little boys!"

Darrian went over and pinched Bruce's cheek like a fond aunt. "Awwww dey so cute." He mocked.

Clark was smiling, but discomfited by his feeling of... what... what was that? Jealousy?! It couldn't be. Clark mentally shook himself.

Bruce pulled away from Darrian shooting him an angry glare.

Lois laughed, "Aww!" She mocked him patting his arm, "Did he just hurt your ego?"

Bruce scowled unable to stop the blush from coloring his cheeks.

Darrian snorted. "Me? Make a dent in the huge orbiting planet he calls an ego? Not likely." He winked at Bruce to show that it was all in play.

"Hey!" Bruce lightened up and smiled a little, "It's not _that_ big..."

"Sure it's not." Lois snickered.

Darrian sighed and walked over to Clark, reaching up to rest an elbow on the other man's shoulder. "You know it's huge." He said.

Clark jumped. "Wh-WHAT?"

Darrian backed up, looking confused. "Brucie's ego?" He laughed. "Stay on the page Clark."

Both Bruce and Lois gave Clark a worried stare.

"Darrian why don't you leave Clark alone for awhile, I think you've scarred him enough for one day..." Bruce said holding back a grin.

"Actually..." Clark looked at the clock. "We better go. We have work tomorrow." Darrian pouted. "Aw, that sucks. We were just having fun too." He said, giving Lois a mournful look.

Lois smiled, "Maybe you can come visit us sometime. You know, get Bruce out of this stuffy place and show him that there's life beyond Gotham."

"I know there's life beyond Gotham." Bruce grunted and Lois smiled up at him.

"Great then you know about Metropolis."

Bruce rolled his eyes.

Darrian cocked his head. "Sounds good... lemme think about it."

Clark moved away, taking Lois by the arm. "Shall we?"

"Bye you guys." She smiled waving to them as Clark led her out of the mansion.

Bruce raised his eyebrows, "You were hitting on Clark?" He asked turning to Darrian looking slightly amused.

Darrian sighed and flopped across the pool table. "Flirting and getting NO where. Bruce, you HAVE to help me..."

"You're on your own with that," Bruce grunted folding his arms over his chest, "There's no way I'm helping you get together with Clark."

Darrian turned. "Why not? You'll be helping you get together with Lois." He sang, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Bruce paused for a moment, "No..." He said again this time a little less sure of himself, "I couldn't do that to them."

Darrian sat on the floor. "Look... it's not like Clark wasn't showing any interest. If he was so in love with Lois, surely he wouldn't've spent all night looking at me. Would he?"

Bruce turned to Darrian raising an eyebrow.

Darrian looked up at Bruce. "What?"

"I didn't even noticed."

Darrian stuck his tongue out. "Seriously though..."

"Why are you so hell-bent on getting Clark?" Bruce frowned folding his arms over his chest.

Darrian shrugged. "I dunno. I want you to get with Lois? And it's been AGES since I had anyone. And, I dunno... I like him... instant magnetism or something."

"What happened to that one person you were dating for so long?"

Darrian thought hard. "Which person?"

Bruce rolled his eyes and shrugged, "Jack...? Wasn't his name Jack?"

Darrian's eyes widened and he laughed. "Oh YEA! Jack." He giggled. "Oh, no, that ended years back. He decided he was straight after all."

"Nice." Bruce commented dryly walking out into the hallway, "I have to start my patrol in about an hour," He frowned looking at his watch, "What are you going to do?"

Darrian sighed, shrugging. "Can't I come with?" He asked hopefully.

"No." Bruce shook his head.

Darrian pouted. "You're no fun."

"I know."

"Yea, yea, laugh it up laughing boy. What am I supposed to do all day? Well... evening."

"Read." Bruce said in deadly calm serious voice.

Darrian gave Bruce a dirty look. "I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that Bruce." He said. "Don't you have any clubs round here or something?"

Bruce gave him a stern steady look, "You sure you want to go do that?"

Darrian shrugged. "After our little dispatch I should be fine... until the guy sends some more morons down here, but that should take a few more months. I'll be cool Brucie."

Bruce's stare lingered for a moment longer, "Right. It's your life, you're older than 'me' I'm not gonna tell you what you can and can't do." He shrugged, "There's a new club opening 'Club Gotham' or something. Shouldn't be hard to find."

"Is it any good?" Darrian asked, pepping up.

"From what I've heard it's okay." Bruce smirked a little, "Been there once or twice myself."

"Bruce, you dark horse." Darrian smirked. "Think I'll be able to pick someone up there?" He asked shamelessly.

Bruce snorted, "What, giving up and Clark so easily?" He rolled his eyes, "Sure. I bet you can." He started for the clock.

"I'm not giving up." Darrian explained. "I'm just really lonely. Cold bed, you know how it goes." Darrian grinned wolfishly.

"Right." Bruce waved him off and disappeared down a set of stairs behind the clock, a moment later the passageway way closed off again by the large grandfather clock.

Darrian raised an eyebrow. "Well... that was weird."

VVVVV

A/N: Please Review!!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. 

vvvv

His patrol tonight was anything but the usual. After having a long tedious fight with the Scarecrow resulting in the deranged scientist being dragged off by the cops, Batman found himself back in his cave just grasping the threads of reality. He had gotten a good lung full of the Fear Toxin and was now suffering from the effects, hallucinations. Stumbling from the Bat-mobile, Batman found himself face to face with a man from his nightmares. Yelping in surprise, Batman stumbled backwards falling on his butt where he proceeded to crabwalk backwards until he hit the side of the Bat-mobile. The man steadily walked up to him and he felt himself suddenly become an eight-year-old boy again. The next thing he knew he was screaming and crying for help.

Darrian heard the screams from behind the clock where he knew the lair was. He'd foregone clubbing after all, considering he had nothing to wear out, and had taken Bruce's advice instead, curling up on the couch to read Kafka. He started up when he heard screaming, and bolted down to the lair, finding Bruce and going over to him anxiously. "Bruce! Fuck, what's wrong mate, c'mon..."

Bruce, having ripped off his mask, looked up at Darrian with wide eyes.

His grip on reality had slipped away, "He's going to get me again, h-he's..." His swallowed hard, his voice timid and small like a child's.

Darrian, concerned, knelt down; worried that Bruce was having some kind of nervous breakdown. "Brucie, it's ok, calm down alright. No one's gonna hurt you okay. Come on... it's okay." He said, repeating the words, trying to calm Bruce down.

"Fear... Toxin..." Bruce gasped out trying to fight the hallucinations back, "Been poisoned... g-get..." His eyes widened at the memories flashing through his mind.

A belt covered in blood... He screamed having totally succumbed to the fear toxin.

Shit "Bruce!" Darrian gingerly held onto Bruce's shoulders, catching his gaze. "Brucie, listen. It's Darrian. Do you know where the antidote is." Come on Bruce,... just point or something... he thought, the sight of his friend so afraid making him distressed in turn.

"What's going on?" The dry voice of Alfred echoed softly in the cave as he came down the stone stairs, "Oh my." He gasped finding Darrian hovering over a terrified screaming Bruce.

Darrian turned fast. "Alfred, he said he's been poisoned..." Darrian said frantically. "I dunno what to do, can you help him at all?" He begged.

Alfred's eyes widened, "Poisoned? The Fear Toxin?"

Bruce turned his head towards him, tears running down his cheeks, "Alfred?" He squeaked.

"I'll go get the antidote." He said running over to a drawer by the computer.

After a moment he approached the two with the antidote and gave it to Bruce.

Darrian stood back and watched helplessly, fidgeting badly.

"What's wrong with him?" he asked Alfred plaintively.

"Master Bruce must have run into The Scarecrow again. He's been poisoned by a toxin that triggers a persons fears," Alfred watched as Bruce settled down falling into a deep sleep, "Would you help me carry Master Bruce upstairs?"

Darrian nodded and proceeded to do so, though it wasn't easy. When they got to the room, and Bruce was in bed, Darrian stroked his hair back gently and covered him over, then kissed his fingers and pressed them to Bruce's forehead before walking out and shutting the door behind him.

Bruce moaned tossing in his sleep; the antidote would take up to two days to work, not fast enough to stop the onrush of nightmares/memories surfacing in Bruce's brain. Gasping he fought his way through nightmare after nightmare...

_A gunshot echoed throughout the streets drowning out the screams and cries of a young boy. Bruce knelt down in-between his mother and father, his knees soaked with blood._

_"No!" He sobbed. _

_The image distorted and Bruce was sitting in a small dirty room with two other children staring up at a large man. _

_"Who wet the bed!" The man shouted at the children sitting on the only bed in the room. _

_None of them moved and the man began removing his belt. The little boy to Bruce's left lifted a shaky hand and pointed to Bruce, as did the other boy. Bruce looked up at the man in embarrassment then yelped in surprise as he was yanked out of the room by his hair. _

Bruce screamed in his sleep unable to wake himself up.

Darrian sat on the floor by Bruce's bed, arm lying across Bruce, head resting on his arm. He fought sleep, not that it was hard, as Bruce's frequent screams kept jerking him awake. He'd been there for a few hours, having not been able to sleep the night before. He remembered Bruce screaming like this before, in nightmares and during delirium when he had fever when he was younger. He didn't want to know what Bruce was seeing in his head. He knew what it was like to relive the bad things from your past, and he also knew that Bruce had plenty of bad things to remember.

He remembered a time shortly after he locked Bruce in the bathroom when he found the young boy sitting atop a fence wall sobbing with a bottle of alcohol set beside him. Darrian had shaken his head when he saw the strong liquor, and had taken the bottle, taking a swig himself, before flinging it over the fence to crash on the other side…

_He was quiet for a while, letting Bruce cry it out, waiting for him to start speaking when he felt the time was right. ___

___Sniffing, Bruce looked down at Darrian with bloodshot eyes, "I hate them." He frowned wiping his eyes with his sleeve. _

_"Hate who?"_

_Bruce just stared down at him._

_Darrian sighed. "Kid, c'mon. Since when can't you talk to me?" He edged around, shifting some gravel with the side of his boot. "You prefer hiding in the bottom of a bottle?"___

_"I don't want to talk about it." Bruce grumbled pulling his torn white t-shirt off._

_Fresh black and blue bruises decorated his back and shoulders, some covering up old injuries and fading bruises. _

_Darrian raised an eyebrow, anger running through him, making a rushing sound in his ears. "Where the fuck did you get those from?"_

_Bruce shrugged staring ahead blankly._

_Darrian sighed. "Brucie... I can't help you if you don't let me in. Come on, tell me. Who did that to you?"___

_Sighing heavily Bruce lowered his eyes to Darrian's, "I got into a fight with the high school kids that hang out around the porno shop."_

_"Over what?" Darrian asked, surprised. "How did you get mixed up with those kids?"_

_"The alcohol..." Bruce said slowly, "And I tried to steal a cigarette from one of their jackets..." He blushed slightly in embarrassment._

_Darrian's face was blank. "Lemme get this right... you tried to steal from them... so they beat you up. Were was the alcohol involved?"___

_Bruce smirked slightly, "I stole it from them after I beat them up."_

_Darrian sat down, sliding to the floor with his back against the fence. "WHY?" He shook his head. "Yea, just.. why? What in the hell possessed you?" He asked, more confused than anything.___

_The smirk vanished, tears had sprung to his eyes again and he began to silently cry._

_Darrian looked up when Bruce didn't answer. "Hey kid, don't cry." he said, standing up. "Look, it's okay, I'm not mad with you. Though I really wish you wouldn't steal... or drink, but I guess that's your choice. What's really bothering you huh?"___

_"I hate myself..." Bruce hissed jumping from the fence, his usually piercing blue eyes were dull and angry._

_Darrian looked worried. "Hey, hey, hey! Come on kid, don't start on that." He didn't move towards Bruce in case it made him feel closed in. "Come on, don't say that. What's wrong, talk to me, please."_

_Bruce turned around, "I let him kill them!" He snapped trying to fight off the demons in his young mind._

_"You let who kill who Bruce?" Darrian asked, worried now. ___

_Bruce swallowed wiping at his eyes, after so long of hiding and guarding it, it was now out, "My parents... I-I couldn't stop him. He was there... her pearls broke... and then he shot them..." A steady stream of tears was now running down his dirty cheeks._

_"God Brucie, I'm so sorry." Darrian said sympathetically, even though he couldn't completely relate. Frankly, the thought of someone shooting HIS parents made him smile inwardly, but he squashed that thought right there. He gestured to Bruce. "C'mere kid."___

_Bruce hesitated momentarily before stepping forward, trying to stop the hiccupping sobs._

_Darrian enveloped Bruce in a hug, rubbing his back softly. "It's okay Brucie, it wasn't your fault. Okay? It wasn't your fault at all, it was that other bastard. Don't blame yourself for it anymore, it's alright..."___

_"I-It should've b-been me." Bruce sobbed burying his face into Darrian's shirt._

_"Aw, Bruce, no. You're just a little kid. You're parents wouldn't have blamed you and they wouldn't have wanted you to die either. They'd've wanted you to stay strong and live and look, you have. C'mon kid, don't think like that."_

_Bruce pulled away, the tears still running down his cheeks but his face was now hard, and his eyes narrowed._

_"They'll pay." He hissed in a low voice._

_Darrian frowned. "Bruce, I know how you feel. And I'm not gonna try and stop you, cause I know it won't do any good. But just listen... don't let this thing for revenge eat your life up okay?"___

Darrian shook his head. At least his thirst for revenge did SOME good... I mean... it coulda been worse he decided.

Bruce slowly eased opened his eyes then sat straight up, "Wha-?" He started having not remembered going to bed or much after his fight with the Scarecrow... oh right, he had been poisoned.

His eyes rolled over to the side of his bed where Darrian was sitting.

Darrian, his head resting on his arm facing away from Bruce, deep in thought and half asleep, didn't realize that Bruce was awake yet.

Bruce raised an eyebrow and gently nudged Darrian, "Hey." He grunted.

Darrian jumped backwards, almost falling onto his arse, but grabbed the bed sheets to stop himself. "Wha!" He yelped.

Bruce watched him fall in amusement.

Darrian sat down so he couldn't fall off and glared at Bruce. "Hi." He said sullenly, sure that Bruce was laughing at him inside.

"Remind me," Bruce started with a smirk, "Was it me who went drinking last night or you?"

Darrian shook his head. "Drinkage did NOT occur. You got poisoned by this stuff from this guy you HAD to go out chasing." Darrian filled him in. "How're you feeling?"

Bruce leaned back against the headboard, "Like I was hit by a truck." He groaned rubbing his temples.

"You had me worried for a bit there." Darrian confessed, worrying his already well-chewed lower lip. "Alfred gave you some stuff, but you were out of it. Nightmares and shit I guess... it was really nasty."

"I know." Bruce grumbled remembering most of the nightmares he had had.

Darrian sighed, stretching. "Do you remember what happened before you came home?"

"I can't really remember the drive back... I was pretty out of it." Bruce grimaced.

"What about before that?"

Bruce frowned slightly, "The last thing I remember before getting back here was Jim hauling the Scarecrow off to Arkham."

Darrian looked confused. "Who hauling the what off to where?" He asked.

"Jim's the Commissioner of Gotham," Bruce explained, "The Scarecrow is one of my many archenemies sworn to kill me or something," He shrugged, "And Arkham is the insane asylum around here."

Darrian twitched. "Niiiice." He said sarcastically. "So.. These enemies of yours.. Many you said?"

"Yea one of...ten... I might be leaving a few out." He sighed rubbing his temples again.

"Wow." Darrian was impressed. "You wanna tell me who they all are, so I know who not to open the door to?" He asked playfully, but with a serious undertone.

Bruce rolled his eyes, "eh, one day." He grumbled climbing out of bed.

Darrian stayed where he was, yawning. "You sure you should be up and about?" he asked, through a mouthful of yawn.

"I've been through worse." Came the muffled reply as Bruce pulled off his costume and tossed it to the floor as he rummaged through his closet for something to wear.

Darrian shook his head. "Honestly, I'm not around to keep you outta trouble and look what happens."

Bruce walked back out of the closet clad in only a pair of black sweatpants, "What?" He asked innocently.

Darrian lay down on his back, his hand against his head like women when they fainted in the old movies. "He's gone to the wrong side, my poor darling child." he said in a mock-falsetto.

Bruce rolled his eyes, "Come on, let's go get some breakfast." He said already through the door.

Darrian yawned again. "Nah.. I'm just gonna..." he crawled up onto Bruce's bed and curled himself up into the duvet. "Sleep here..." he yawned again, then curled up and seemed to fall straight asleep.

Bruce shook his head as he wandered downstairs and into the kitchen finding Alfred up cooking eggs and bacon.

"Morning Alfred." Bruce greeted him as he sat down at the table.

"Morning Master Bruce, good to see you up and well. Where is Darrian?"

"Sleeping."

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A/N: Please review!!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thank you Batman's Kawaii Sex-kitten for the review. (Wow that was odd to say lol) Sorry to say, but the Bruce/Darrian thing's not going to happen in this story, BUT maybe (maybe) if you're lucky you might get a Darrian/Bruce thing sent to you. (maybe) lol. Thanks again for the review.

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"Master Bruce?" Alfred appeared in the doorway of the study holding a cordless phone with his hand securely held over the receiver, "It's for you sir, and by the sounds of it, it's not a very happy phone call."

Bruce climbed to his feet, having been lying on the couch flipping through a book, and took the phone from Alfred holding it up to his ear.

"Bruce here."

"Who's this?" The voice was deep, threatening, blunt and sounded very lower-class British.

Bruce raised an eyebrow, "Bruce Wayne."

"Bruce Wayne?" The voice managed to make it sound like Bruce had done something wrong. "Where's Darrian?"

"Who are you?" Bruce asked his voice lowering in timber.

"What the fuck is it to you?"

Bruce's jaw clenched in anger, "You called 'my' home and are demanding to talk to someone without telling me who you are."

"Yes." the voice said, cold, calm, and impatient. "My business is with Darrian... unless he can't do anything without you're say so."

Bruce glanced about the room, "Any business you have with him goes to me. What is it you want? Money?"

The voice chuckled nastily. "What, is he your whore or something? Can't say I'm surprised."

"Who. Is. This?" Bruce growled saying the sentence threateningly slow.

He was becoming tired of this game extremely fast; he glanced up at Alfred standing in the doorway and nodded. Alfred nodded back and left swiftly, he was going to find out who this guy was if he told him or not.

"I'm a person who has business with your little toy... business that needs to be dealt with as soon as possible, and frankly, I'm getting tired of waiting. Now is the little bastard there or not?"

Bruce hesitated briefly, "No." He answered once Alfred returned.

The person on the other end of the line hung up curtly.

Bruce clicked off the phone and turned to Alfred, "Get it?"

Alfred nodded, "Indeed I did sir. May I ask what that was about?"

"I'm not sure." Bruce frowned slightly handing the phone to Alfred as he made his way to the old Grandfather clock.

Darrian took that moment to meander down the stairs, yawning hugely still, but looking less tired. "Hey, what's going on?" He asked muggily.

Bruce motioned for Darrian to follow him down into the cave, he pressed in several keys on the keyboard and a phone number, location, and name popped up, "Do you recognize that name?" He asked glancing over his shoulder at Darrian.

Darrian went white and stepped backwards. "Wh-wh-wh-where'd you get that from?!" He asked, panicky. "Shit, shit, shit..."

"Who is he?" Bruce asked narrowing his eyes.

Darrian covered his face with his hands. "He is a very bad man." he said in a much younger shaky voice, squeaked out as he stood there shaking slightly.

Bruce grunted taking a seat in front of the large monitor, "Computer search 'Frankie Black.'" Pictures of random people quickly flashed across the screen until it stopped on a picture of a man with non-descript brown hair in a business-like cut, rough features, a tall yet stocky build, dark green eyes, and a cruel mouth.

"This him?" Bruce asked turning in the chair so that he could see Darrian's face rather than his reflection on the screen.

Darrian peeked through his fingers and froze, nodding marginally. His eyes were huge and he didn't seem to be able to speak.

Bruce snorted and turned back to the computer pulling up the man's file, "He organizes illegal boxing matches, dog fights, cock fights, and runs a drug and a prostitute racket… What the hell have you gotten yourself into Darrian!?" Bruce growled climbing to his feet.

Darrian squeaked, backing away. "I'm sorry Bruce, I'm sorry..."

Sighing, Bruce ran a hand through his hair, "So what does he want with you now?"

"He's the guy I owe money too... he wants me... preferably alive, but he doesn't mind if I'm dead..."

"What do we do now?" It was simple question deserving of a simple answer, or so he thought.

"We do nothing now." Darrian said. "I've already gotten you into more trouble than I'm worth Bruce. Thank you, for everything, but I REALLY have to go now. If I don't keep moving, he'll find me... I have to go."

Bruce wouldn't accept any of this, "He's already found you Darrian," He said in his deep brassy voice as his eyes narrowed, "Now we have to figure out how to get you out of this mess."

"There's no way out but to run Bruce." Darrian said, looking up the stairs. "There's no way out until he dies... which isn't likely to happen soon."

"Or if he's locked up," Bruce walked over to the case holding the Batman costume, "How do I find this guy?"

Darrian shook his head. "You don't Bruce. You're staying well out of it, do you hear me?" He said seriously.

Bruce turned to him, "How do I find him Darrian?" He repeated.

Darrian crossed his arms and shook his head. "Don't even THINK that I'm gonna tell you."

Bruce snorted and walked over to the computer pressed a button and a map pulled up with directions to a supposedly disserted warehouse, but then again, warehouses are never disserted when thought to be.

"Bruce, don't. He's not stupid you know. He'll have left there and he'll find out you're looking for him and the next thing you know, it'll go very badly for you..."

"I've dealt with his type before Darrian," Bruce grunted taking out the bat-suit, "If anything goes wrong," He looked over at Darrian, "Jim will be there. Nothing will go wrong."

"Bruce." Darrian said hotly. "I am NOT going to let you fight my battles for me... its bad enough that I CAME here... no. I'm not gonna let you risk your life for me. I'll handle this myself."

"Like you have been doing so far?" Bruce replied angrily, "You think that was 'handling it'?"

"I've survived this long haven't I?" Darrian asked.

Bruce glared at him, "Right." He grumbled brushing passed Darrian to the room on the other end of the cave.

Darrian shook his head. "Bruce... if you go after him, I'm gonna call him and get him to pick me up somewhere else before you can find him." he said. It was the only thing he could think of to do to stop Bruce leaving. "He'll have me, I won't have a problem anymore, and you won't be in trouble..."

Bruce turned sharply on his heel, "You will do no such thing." He growled his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits; he had dealt with guys like this Frankie Black before.

"Yea? Well if you do a stupid thing Like go after Frankie right now, on your own, I'm gonna have to." Darrian said back, totally sincere and not backing down.

"I've dealt with his type before. I've dealt with worse." Bruce hissed remembering the time he had fought the Joker after the mad man tried to poison the cities water supply with laughing gas.

"I don't care." Darrian shot back. "Whatever he is, he's MY problem. And I don't want you to go..." His expression softened, pleading with Bruce. "I don't wanna be responsible for your death Bruce..." He said softly.

Bruce stared Darrian down for a moment then nodded, "Alright, I won't go." His face softened a bit a he secretively pulled out a small syringe from one of the pouches in the bat suit he was carrying, "Let's go up stairs." He sighed gesturing with his free hand to the stairs.

Darrian blinked, and smiled. "Thanks man." he said, and made his way upstairs.

Bruce set the costume down and sprinted to catch up with Darrian, once he was behind him he grabbed the older man by the shoulder and plunged the needle into his arm.

"Sorry." He grunted pulling the now empty syringe from Darrian's shoulder. Darrian jumped when the needle went in and turned to Bruce. "What..?" But when he saw that it was Bruce who had done it, confusion, then realization passed over his face, then, before he passed out, hurt betrayal.

Bruce carefully pulled Darrian into his arms and took him back down to the cave where he laid him down. The sedative would last just over two hours if he was lucky. Quickly he dressed into his costume and pressed a small button on the belt.

"Clark, I need you to do me a favor. Come to the 'cave and get Darrian for me, I knocked him out with a sedative he should be fine in about an hour. Just take him back to your place and I'll explain everything when I get back."

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A/N: Please Review!!


	9. Chapter 9

Darrian writhed and fought under the influence of the drug. He was asleep and couldn't wake up, and as he slept he dreamed. At first they were early memories, meeting with Frankie Black, sleeping with various people for the next hit of heroin, and they in themselves weren't nice dreams. But his memories went back, further than they usually did in their extended time... usually he would have woken up by now... he was caught up in the dream, he was himself as a little boy again, and his parents were home...

He woke up screaming his head off.

Clark bolted into the room at the sound of Darrian's scream, "Hey? You okay?" He asked walking over and sitting on the foot of the bed.

Darrian sat up, breathing hard, totally disorientated. He blinked at Clark, wondering for a few seconds if he'd actually managed to seduce him. Why else would he be in his bed? But he dismissed that as stupid. "What... where am I?" He asked, his voice hoarse from screaming.

"You're at my apartment in Metropolis, you've been out cold for an hour and a half." Clark said running a hand through his hair.

"What happened?" He asked, pulling his knees up to him like the little boy he'd never been, still slightly shaken from the nightmares.

Clark shrugged, "I'm not exactly sure. Bruce called me up and told me to come and get you. When I got there he was gone."

It suddenly came back to Darrian, the sharp ache of the needle coming back to him, and he rubbed his arm, his expression going cold. "He drugged me." he said darkly.

"Drugged you?" Clark furrowed his eyebrows, "But why?"

Darrian looked away. "The stupid idiot is going after an old friend of mine. I told him not to, but he doesn't like to be told what to do, no not Bruce." He said, somewhat bitterly. "Fuck that it was my problem, fuck that I told him to stay out of it, no, he has to go be the hero and do what the hell he wants." he shook his head. "And fuck me too, for believing him when he told me he wouldn't go."

Clark sighed softly letting his eyes drift over to the window, "That's Bruce for you… or should I say 'Batman'. He doesn't like anything or anyone to get in his way, or hurt his friends." He turned back to Darrian, "What did this 'friend' of yours do to make Bruce go to the extreme?"

Darrian shook his head. "It's stupid. And it's my fault and my problem. None of this would be happening if I hadn't turned up at Bruce's. I shoulda just left when I had the chance." He said, seething.

Clark made a small noise and stood up folding his arms over his chest, "But you didn't." He said softly as he briefly wondered what was taking Bruce so long.

"No. i didn't. Cause I thought he was my friend, and I got carried away, being so FUCKING grateful to have a roof over my head and be staying with someone I thought I could trust." He sighed.

"You know you can still trust Bruce, you've known the guy longer than any of us… in a sense." Clark frowned slightly sitting back down on the foot of the bed, "He just…" He shrugged, "Over reacts sometimes."

Darrian shrugged. "Yea, you'd think I could trust him after practically raising him for however many years it was."

"Yea, what happened with that?" Clark asked curiously, he remembered hearing a little about it at dinner the other night.

Darrian was distracted from his musings for a second. "Oh that." He sighed. "It's up to Bruce to tell you." he said. "If he wants to. But basically, bad things happened and we ran into each other, and then, more bad things happened but this time I was there to help him out of it sometimes... especially when I got him into it. And after a while, we split. And I haven't seen him since I found the mansion.

"Oh," Clark said slowly blinking, "Yea, guess I'll never know the whole story then. Bruce tends to keep things like that to himself."

Darrian was silent. Still angry with Bruce, but most of all, upset. His trust had been obliterated right then, in two blows... that Bruce had lied to him about something that was so important, and that he had drugged him to have his own way. After however many years they had been together you would think that the younger man would know how insecure Darrian was about people who claimed to be his friends, and he surely he should have known that Darrian had a thing about needle-given drugs... but in the end, it was the years of trust between them that had been destroyed that hurt Darrian inside and made him feel like the world had suddenly come apart.

He looked up at Clark. "Can I borrow the phone?"

"Sure." Clark nodded pointing to the phone on the nightstand, "It's right there… obviously." He stood rolling his eyes at himself, "I'll just leave you be." He smiled lightly as he left the room closing the door behind himself.

Darrian picked up the phone and, with shaking nerves dialed a mobile number that had been permanently burnt into his mind. "Hello, Frankie?"

Batman growled to himself as he looked about the abandoned factory, he was too late, they had just packed up and left not even an hour ago. Pressing a button on his belt he called Clark in aggravation.

"Clark?" He grunted angrily.

"Bruce?" Clark replied, sounding confused, "What's wrong?"

Batman looked about the empty lot, "You have Darrian there right?"

"No." Clark said back. "He told me he was gonna meet up with you! Hasn't he arrived yet?"

"Clark! You idiot!" Batman shouted turning on his heel, "No wonder Frankie has vanished! He has a hostage now!"

"What? Who the hell is Frankie? I wasn't told anything Bruce." Clark said reasonably. "And how does he have a hostage? "

Batman ran out of the building and jumped into the bat mobile, "Frankie's a drug dealer after Darrian. And Darrian threatened me to turn himself into Frankie if I went after him myself. That's why I knocked him out. Damn it Clark!" He growled spinning the 'car around and headed back to the 'cave.

"What? Well how the hell was I supposed to know that Bruce? And he TOLD you he was going to do it... if you'd TOLD me to keep the phone away from him..."

"Why else would I have knocked him out?" Batman growled slamming his foot on the break squealing to a stop.

"To keep him from coming with you, yea, but I didn't know he threatened that. ... and by the way, he seems pretty pissed off with you."

Batman snorted, "I know." He climbed out of the 'car and walked up to the computer typing in a few things, "I need you to help me find him Clark. This guy's not gonna be to kind to him."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Just keep your eyes open." Batman grunted turning the com. link off.

A/N: Please review!!


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